Sports training apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A system ( 234, 220, 200 ) for monitoring movements of one or more users and/or one or more projectiles during sports activities performed by the one or more users is provided. The one or more projectiles ( 200 ) incorporate sensors ( 202, 204 ) for sensing movements of the one or more projectiles ( 200 ) during the sports activities. A user interface ( 220 ) is used for presenting automated sports training services. A data processing arrangement ( 234, 232, 220 ) is used for analysing one or more records of the movements of the one or more projectiles ( 200 ) against reference data, for providing the automated sports training services to the one or more users via the user interface ( 220 ).

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to sports training apparatus, for exampleto sports training apparatus which is operable to compare sports playingperformance of a given user with a reference sports player. Moreover,the present disclosure relates to methods of providing sports trainingusing sports training apparatus, for example to methods of providingsports training using sports training apparatus, wherein the methodincludes comparing sports playing performance of a given user with areference sports player. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to softwareproducts recorded on machine-readable data storage media, wherein thesoftware products are executable on computing hardware for implementingaforesaid methods; the software products, for example, include softwareapplications which are downloadable to wireless communication devices,for example smart phones, for implementing aforesaid methods.

BACKGROUND

Sports training equipment, for example as found in gymnasia and fitnesscentres, are well known for improving performances of sports people,especially when guidance from a personal coaching person is provided.However, personal coaches are expensive to hire and are not alwaysfamiliar with playing styles and nuances of famous sports people whom agiven sports person may desire to emulate. For example, when playing agame such as basketball, it is desirable to receive reliable advice onwhich parts of the given sports person's performance should be improved,or which parts of performance should be changed.

A person practicing a sport, whether as a hobby or as a sportsprofessional, often desires to emulate famous professional sportsplayers. The person practicing the sport, for example, desires toimprove performance for their professional work or simply for receivingmore enjoyment from playing a given sport. Such enjoyment, for example,pertains to playing like a famous professional player or making sportsmoves akin to those exhibited by the famous professional player.

A problem encountered with contemporary known sports is that there is alack of automated systems and associated apparatus for providingfeedback to sports persons regarding how to improve their sports-playingperformance. Presently, as aforementioned, advice is provided to sportspersons by coaches or personal trainers. For example, a given coachanalyses a basketball shot and thereafter gives advice regarding amanner in which the basketball shot can be improved. Similarly, forgames such as tennis, a personal trainers or coach provides advice,namely “tips”, regarding how to improve shots.

It is well known to track movement of one or more projectiles, forexample one or more balls, utilized when playing a sports game, forexample football or basket ball, to determine statistical informationrelating to the sports game. Such statistical information can include anumber of goals or points scored, and performance of one or more playersof the sports game. Such tracking has often been implemented usingcameras, personnel collating statistics manually as well as usingsensors included in the one or more projectiles. However, knownapproaches for analysing movement of the one or more projectiles are notwell developed such that insufficient analysis, such that inadequateanalysis of sports games utilizing the one or more projectiles is notpresently achievable.

In a US patent application no. US2012/058845A1, there is described abasket ball which incorporates motion sensors. The motion sensorsinclude, for example, one or more accelerometers, one or more angularrate gyroscopic sensors and one or more magnetometers. In theapplication, it is elucidated that sensor signals from the motionsensors can be analyzed to generate statistical results, but is devoidof detail of how the statistical analysis can be performed in practice.

There arises therefore a problem that known apparatus for providinganalysis of trajectories of one or more projectiles associated withsports projectiles are not sufficiently evolved and do not providedstatistical analysis to a fullest extent which is potentially feasibleto achieve, for example for providing automated personal trainer-typeservices to sports persons.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure seeks to provide an improved sports trainingapparatus, wherein automated sports training advice is provided.

The present disclosure also seeks to provide an improved method of usingsports apparatus, wherein the method is capable of providing automatedsports training advice.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda system as claimed in appended claim 1: there is provided a system formonitoring movements of one or more users and/or one or more projectilesduring sports activities performed by the one or more users, wherein theone or more projectiles incorporating sensors for sensing movements ofthe one or more projectiles during the sports activities, a userinterface for presenting automated sports training services, and a dataprocessing arrangement for analysing one or more records of themovements of the one or more projectiles against reference data, forproviding the automated sports training services to the one or moreusers via the user interface.

The disclosure is of advantage in that that automated collection ofmovements and automated comparison with the reference data enablesautomated sports training services to be provided.

Optionally, in the system, the reference data pertains to one or moreprofessional sports personalities, wherein the one or more users areable to select amongst the one or more professional sports personalitiesfor purpose of analysis via the users interface. More optionally, in thesystem, the automated sports training service is operable to provide theone or more users with automated advice regarding how to modify theirsports-playing activities to emulate those of the one or more selectedprofessional sports personalities.

Optionally, the system is operable to enable sharing of analysis resultswithin a peer group of the one or more users.

Optionally, the system is operable to generate automated messages whenthe one or more users score during the sports training activities.

Optionally, in the system, the service is provided in return for paymentbased upon at least one of:

-   -   (a) per analysis performed by the system;    -   (b) per download of a software application to a mobile wireless        communication device operable to assist to implement the system;    -   (c) on a periodic subscription basis; and    -   (d) per advertisement present to the one or more user via the        user interface.

According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided amethod of using a system for monitoring movements of one or more usersand/or one or more projectiles during sports activities performed by theone or more users, wherein the method includes:

using one or more projectiles incorporating sensors for sensingmovements of the one or more projectiles during the sports activities;

(ii) using a user interface for presenting automated sports trainingservices to the one or more users; and

(iii) using a data processing arrangement for analysing one or morerecords of the movements of the one or more projectiles againstreference data, for providing the automated sports training services tothe one or more users via the user interface.

Optionally, in the method, the reference data pertains to one or moreprofessional sports personalities, wherein the one or more users areable to select amongst the one or more professional sports personalitiesfor purpose of analysis via the users interface. More optionally, in themethod, the automated sports training service is operable to provide theone or more users with automated advice regarding how to modify theirsports-playing activities to emulate those of the one or more selectedprofessional sports personalities.

Optionally, the method includes operating the system to enable sharingof analysis results within a peer group of the one or more users.

Optionally, the method includes using the system to generate automatedmessages when the one or more users score during the sports trainingactivities.

Optionally, in the method, the service is provided in return for paymentbased upon at least one of:

-   -   (a) per analysis performed by the system;    -   (b) per download of a software application to a mobile wireless        communication device operable to assist to implement the system;    -   (c) on a periodic subscription basis; and    -   (d) per advertisement present to the one or more user via the        user interface.

According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided asoftware product recorded on machine-readable data media, wherein thesoftware application is executable upon computing hardware forimplementing a method pursuant to the second aspect of the disclosure.

Optionally, the software product is downloadable as a softwareapplication to a mobile wireless communication device for implementing auser interface for providing automated sports training services.

It will be appreciated that features of the disclosure are susceptibleto being combined in various combinations without departing from thescope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a game-playing scenario in whichgaming playing performance is improved using a sports training apparatuspursuant to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a sports trainingapparatus pursuant to the present disclosure.

In the accompanying diagrams, an underlined number is employed torepresent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or anitem to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined numberrelates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlinednumber to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied byan associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify ageneral item at which the arrow is pointing.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

In overview, the present disclosure is concerned with a sports trainingapparatus which is operable to record one or more signals from one ormore sensors generated during sports training, and thereafter to analysethe one or more signals by comparing against one or more performancetemplates, for example generated by monitoring sports playing activitiesof famous sports persons, and therefrom determining how playerperformance can be improved during the sports training. Beneficially,one or more wireless devices, for example one or more smart phones, areemployed for receiving and communicating the one or more signals to aremote data analysis system which can automatically provide sportscoaching and advice. The sports training apparatus is thereby capable ofproviding sports training in an automated manner, which is lessexpensive in comparison to employing an actual coach or personaltrainer.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, there are beneficiallyemployed software products implemented by way of downloadable softwareapplications onto wireless communication devices, for example iPad,iPhone, and similar. “iPad” and “iPhone” are registered trademarks. Whenexecuted upon computing hardware of wireless communication devices, thesoftware applications provide a user interface (UI), for example agraphical user interface (GUI), via which a given user is able to selecta sport of interest for training purposes, for example

Embodiments of the present disclosure are suitable for sports such asfootball, soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, tennis, skiing, but notlimited thereto. The aforesaid software products, when executed uponcomputing hardware, allows a given user to select which professionalsports player that the given user is desirous to emulate, for examplethe given user is a fan of a selected professional sports player. Whenthe given user selects a profile of a desired professional sports playeron his/her wireless-enabled device, for example smart phone, datadescribing sports characteristics of the desired professional sportsplayer is fetched via a wireless communication network from one or moreservers supporting an automated personal sports trainer service; forexample, the software application executing upon the wireless-enableddevice downloads data including parameters pertaining to free throwsmade by a specific famous basketball player. Optionally, the data isdownloaded without cost to the given user, alternatively at cost, forexample by way of payment per download or by way of periodicsubscription to the aforesaid service.

The wireless-enabled device of the given user is also operable, whenexecuting the software application, to receive, either directly vianear-field wireless communication, or via a wireless communicationnetwork, sensed trajectory data of a sports projectile, for example abasket ball, used for training the given user. The basket ball hasembedded therein one or more sensors, for example Silicon micromachinedpressure sensors, accelerometers and gyroscopes (i.e. angular sensors)providing the basket ball with a form of inertial navigation unit (INU),a data processing arrangement for processing signals generated by theone or more sensors, and a wireless interface for enabling the basketball to communicate information describing its trajectory in space.

An example embodiment of the disclosure will now be described withreference to FIG. 1. A given user (not shown) is practicing free throwsin a game of basketball. Using a software application downloaded tohis/her smart phone and executing on computing hardware thereof, thegiven user selects his/her as an option on a graphical user interface(UI) 100 presented on a screen of the smart phone. The graphical userinterface 100 provides an information field 120 for displaying selectionmade by the given user, for example selected game, selected type ofpractice, and selected sports professional who the given user isdesirous to emulate or be compared against. In FIG. 1, the given user ispracticing free throws in a game of basketball, and is desirous tocompare his/her throws with those of “Magic Janne”. The given userthrows a basketball 102 and trajectory data is collected by in real-timefrom the basketball 102 and communicated to the software applicationexecuting upon the smart phone; thereafter, a sensed trajectory 112 ofthe basketball 102 is presented to the given user via the graphical userinterface 100, for example by way of one or more animations showing thesensed trajectory 112 together with a corresponding trajectory 110achieved by the famous sports professional “Magic Janne”. In FIG. 1, thebasketball 102 has two trajectories 110, 112, wherein both shots of thebasketball 102 have gone through a rim 106 and a net 108 mounted to abackboard 104.

The given user is then able to employ his/her smart phone to analysehis/her shots of the basketball 102 against those of the professional“Magic Janne”. Based on such analysis, the software applicationexecuting upon the smart phone to give recommendations to the givenuser, for example “Next time, aim a bit higher and shoot with lessforce” or “Next time, aim slightly to the left and shoot with moreforce”. Optionally, such analysis is executed spatially locally at thesmart phone, alternatively the analysis is performed remotely from thesmart phone, for example at an external data server operating inconjunction with the smart phone and in mutually wireless communicationtherewith. The external data server hosts, for example, performance datapertaining to one or more professional sports persons, for exampleaforesaid “Magic Janne” or “Hercules Moosedog”.

In respect of the providing the one or more sensors for the basketball102, technical implementations as described in a U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/660,385 are hereby incorporated by reference for purposes ofimplementing embodiments of the disclosure. Beneficially, the one ormore sensors are operable to generate signals indicative ofacceleration, rotation, spin of the basketball 102. Optionally, the oneor more sensors are employed in other sports equipment, for exampletennis rackets, baseball bats, skis, football boots, cricket bats,cricket balls, diving boards and so forth.

Referring next to FIG. 2, there is shown a schematic architecture of asystem or apparatus required for supporting training to the given user,for example as illustrated in FIG. 1. A basketball 200, or othersports-related equipment, includes one or more sensors 204, for exampleaccelerometers, gyroscopic angular sensors, magnetometers, to recorddynamic motion of the basketball 200 when in flight. The basketball 200also optionally includes location sensors 202 such as a wireless beaconto send information to a base station for Cartesian (x, y, z) spatialposition measurement purposes, enabling an exact position of thebasketball 200 as a function of time to be sensed and determined.Optionally, the basketball 200 includes a GPS sensor, for examplerelevant when the ball 200 is implemented as a golf ball used on a golfrange of considerable spatial extent.

The basketball 200 includes an input/output interface 206 for sendingrecorded sensor information, namely one or more digitized sensor signalsdescribing movement and/or spatial location of the basketball 200.Optionally, the input/output interface 206 is implemented via a WirelessLocal Area Network (WLAN), for example the input/output interface 206 isbeneficially implemented via a small web server, thereby allowing accessto data describing trajectories of the basketball 200 via HTTP protocolfrom the web server (not shown).

Sensor information transmitted from the basketball 200 is received bythe smart phone of the given user, wherein the smart phone is denoted by220 in FIG. 2. The smart phone 200 is beneficially provided withsufficient computational power to perform one or more analyses ofmovements of the basketball 200, for providing automated person trainingfor the given user. The smart phone 220 includes an interface 224 forpresenting statistical results and other related information for thegiven user, for example an analysis of where the given user's sportsperformance is lacking in comparison to the substantially perfect sportsperformance of “Magic Janne”.

The graphical user interface (UI) 224 is beneficially used to controlboth smart phone software as well as software products, namelydownloaded software applications, required for implementing the presentdisclosure. The software products for performing the aforementionedanalysis is executed by a central processing unit (CPU) 226 of the smartphone, for example implemented as a reduced instruction set computer(RISC) architecture. Moreover, the smart phone 220 includes a wirelessinterface 228 to communicate via a communication network, for examplevia the Internet or similar, to a server system 234. Optionally, theserver system 234 is coupled in communication with a database 232, forexample whereat examples of sports performance are recorded againstnames of famous sport personalities.

In another embodiment of the disclosure, the smart phone 220 sendsinformation after each practice session undertaken by the given user hasbeen completed, for example to a social media web-site, for examplecontemporary Facebook or similar; “Facebook” is a registered trademark.Optionally, the smart phone 220 is configured to send a tweet viacontemporary Twitter or similar, each time the given user achieved asuccessful shot; “Twitter” is also a registered trademark. Optionally,the smart phone 220 is operable to send a status update to anaforementioned social network each time the given user is able toachieve a three-point score in aforesaid automated basketball sportstraining. Optionally, recipients within a social network which receiveinformation from the smart phone 220 are definable by the given user,for example for privacy purposes.

In an example embodiment of the disclosure, a sports projectile, forexample the basketball 200 or similar, is given to one or moreprofessional sports players. The professional sports players thenproceed to record their practices and/or games to generate referencedata for the system; associated moves, shots and similar are stored inthe database 232. This information, when stored in the database 232, isbeneficially used as reference information, namely “base information”,for the automated sports training server provided from the system 234.Moreover, the system 234 is optionally configurable to in-app purchaseitems for the given user for training purposes. Namely items definableand purchasable via a software application already executing upon thesmart phone 220; such in-app purchase items include, for example,statistical information pertaining to professional sports users of thesystem 234.

In addition to recording movements of the given user and shots ofprojectiles, for example the basketball 200 and similar, the system 234is capable of working with other sports-enhancement systems, for examplea system as described in a patent application No. U.S. Ser. No.13/550,247 which is hereby incorporated by reference. Optionally, theresystem 234 is configurable to record statistics and moves pertaining toa plurality of players involved in playing a game such as basketball andsimilar.

Optionally, the system 234 is operable to show one or more users whetheror not their moves or related movements are similar to those of theirfavourite peer professional sports teams. Additionally, the given useris able to configure the system 234 to download typical movement of aprofessional sports player within a sports field for enabling the givenuser to imitate the professional sports player as aforementioned.Optionally, the system 234 is employed to collect data pertaining tospecial sports events based upon rules from a selected set of games, forexample for certain National Basketball Association (NBA) games whereatteams are playing in a mutually competitive manner.

Services provided by the system 234 are beneficially paid for in one ormore of following ways:

by advertisements presented concurrently whilst the automated sportstraining service is being provided;

(ii)by subscription, for example daily, weekly, monthly or annualsubscription;

(iii) by per-download of application software, for example to the smartphone 220; and

(iv) per analysis performed by the system 234 or in the smart phone 220.

Although the user using his/her smart phone 220 for implementing thepresent disclosure is described in the foregoing, it will be appreciatedthat alternative types of computing devices are alternatively employed,for example tablet computers, lap-top computers, personal computers(PC), personal digital assistants (PDA), and similar.

Optionally, not only the basketball 200 or similar, but also the givenuser are provided with one or more sensors for detecting their movementsand relative spatial positions when undertaking sports activities; forexample, one or more limbs of the given user can be provided with one ormore sensors for sensing their movement during sports activities.

Modifications to embodiments of the disclosure described in theforegoing are possible without departing from the scope of thedisclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as“including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “consisting of”, “have”,“is” used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended tobe construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items,components or elements not explicitly described also to be present.Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to theplural. Numerals included within parentheses in the accompanying claimsare intended to assist understanding of the claims and should not beconstrued in any way to limit subject matter claimed by these claims.

I claim:
 1. A system for providing automated sports training services,comprising: a basketball having a sensor disposed therein, the sensorconfigured to detect a movement of the basketball relative to a playingarea; a wireless communication device configured to receive a firstmovement signal from the sensor, the movement signal corresponding to abasketball shot; and a processor unit configured to execute a softwareproduct recorded on machine readable data media to provide an analysisby: comparing the first movement signal to a plurality of referencebasketball shot movement signals; identifying at least one of thereference basketball shot movement signals most closely corresponding tothe first movement signal; and based on the deviation between the firstmovement signal and the identified reference basketball shot movementsignal, presenting an instruction for achieving the identified referencebasketball shot movement signal.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theplurality of reference basketball shot movement signals are produced byprofessional basketball players.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein theplurality of reference basketball shot movement signals are produced byanother basketball player.
 4. The system of claim 1, further comprisinga user interface for displaying trajectories corresponding to the firstmovement signal and the identified reference basketball shot movementsignal.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface isconfigured to present the instruction for achieving the identifiedreference basketball shot movement signal.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the a wireless communication device is configured to communicatea result of the comparison of the first movement signal with at leastone of the plurality of reference basketball shot movement signals to asocial media server.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatedsports training services are provided in return for payment based uponat least one of: advertisements presented during the automated sportstraining services; a periodic subscription; a number of downloads of thesoftware product to the mobile wireless communication device; and anumber of analyses performed by the system.
 8. A method for providingautomated sports training services, comprising: detecting, in a wirelesscommunication device, a first movement signal indicative of a basketballshot; using a processing unit for: comparing the first movement signalto a plurality of reference basketball shot movement signals;identifying at least one of the reference basketball shot movementsignals most closely corresponding to the first movement signal; andbased on the deviation between the first movement signal and theidentified reference basketball shot movement signal, presenting aninstruction for achieving the identified reference basketball shotmovement signal.
 9. The method of claim 8, comprising using professionalbasketball players to produce the plurality of reference basketball shotmovement signals.
 10. The method of claim 8, comprising using anotherbasketball player to produce the plurality of reference basketball shotmovement signals.
 11. The method of claim 8, comprising displayingtrajectories corresponding to the first movement signal and theidentified reference basketball shot movement signal on a userinterface.
 12. The method of claim 8, comprising presenting theinstruction for achieving the identified reference basketball shotmovement signal on a user interface.
 13. The method of claim 8,comprising communicating a result of the comparison of the firstmovement signal with at least one of the plurality of referencebasketball shot movement signals to a social media server.
 14. Asoftware product recorded on non-transitory machine-readable data mediaand executable upon the processing device for implementing the method ofclaim
 8. 15. The software product of claim 14, wherein the softwareproduct is downloadable as a software application to the mobile wirelesscommunication device.
 16. The method of claim 7, comprising providingthe automated sports training services in return for payment based uponat least one of: advertisements presented during the automated sportstraining services; a periodic subscription; a number of downloads of thesoftware product to the mobile wireless communication device; and anumber of analyses performed by the system.